… I’ve replacement for them – Peseiro
The duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Victor Osimhen have been left out of today’s clash between the Super Eagles and the Mambas of Mozambique,
Forward Iheanacho, who changed the tenor of the game and netted a spectacular second goal against the Green Falcons of Saudi Arabia on Friday left the camp to attend to personal matters while Osimhen, who is nursing a hamstring injury, is back in Italy.
After conceding a last-minute goal that tied their encounter with Saudi Arabia 2-2 in Portimäo on Friday, the Super Eagles are determined to earn a win over the Mambas of Mozambique today in order to have a positive mindset ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe next month.
Yet, Peseiro is bullish ahead of the encounter, insisting he has a clutch of forwards who can send packing the southern Africans in their only fifth-ever clash with Nigeria at senior level.
“We will miss Kelechi and Victor, but we have other good players who can make Nigeria proud. I look at the bench and see players who can step up and take their chances.”
In the absence of Iheanacho and Osimhen, Peseiro will have to cast his lot with Terem Moffi, Victor Boniface, Samuel Chukwueze, Sadiq Umar and Moses Simon, and hope that Alex Iwobi comes to the party in his playmaking role to supply ammunition to the forwards.
Defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Jordan Torunarigha and Chidozie Awaziem, and midfielders Frank Onyeka, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Raphael Onyedika did not taste action against the Saudis, and could prove to be Peseiro’s aces against the Mambas at the Estádio Municipal de Portimäo today.
Nigeria and Mozambique have met four times at senior level, with the Super Eagles winning a friendly match in Maputo by a lone goal, before home-and-away 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches that remain fresh in the memory till this day.
